الى الحظّ الجليلِ تتوقُ نفسي

الى الحظّ الجليلِ تتوقُ نفسي

فقد شرُفَتْ عن الحظِ الخسيسِ

فقد شرُفَتْ عن الحظِ الخسيسِ

My soul yearns for an exalted fortune,

My soul yearns for sublime fortune,

For it has risen above a lowly lot.

Having risen above base luck.

سأُلزِمُها مجانبةَ الدَنايا

سأُلزِمُها مجانبةَ الدَنايا

ولا أرضى لها غيرَ الرؤوسِ

ولا أرضى لها غيرَ الرؤوسِ

I shall compel it to shun base deeds,

I shall obligate it to shun worldliness,

And accept for it nothing but the highest ranks.

And I won't satisfy it with anything but leadership.

وخير من حدا المرؤوسِ عندي

وخير من حدا المرؤوسِ عندي

فلا يَلْمُمْ بهِ منعُ الرئيسِ

فلا يَلْمُمْ بهِ منعُ الرئيسِ

And best in my eyes is he who urges the subordinate onward;

Better than the ruled in my eyes,

So may the chief's withholding never befall him.

Is one who is not corrupted by the refusal of the chief.

أما لو كان بالآدابِ حظٌّ

أما لو كان بالآدابِ حظٌّ

يُنالُ لثُرْتُ منها في خميسِ

يُنالُ لثُرْتُ منها في خميسِ

Ah, if through letters there were a fortune

If only manners brought good fortune -

To be won, I would have sallied forth from them amid an army.

I would attain wealth every Thursday.

ولو أن الزمانَ أراد سِلْمي

ولو أن الزمانَ أراد سِلْمي

لقرّبني من القاضي الجَليسِ

لقرّبني من القاضي الجَليسِ

And had Time desired peace with me,

If only fate wished my well-being,

It would have brought me close to Judge al-Jalis.

It would bring me close to an agreeable judge.

وقعتُ به فمن دمعٍ طليقٍ

وقعتُ به فمن دمعٍ طليقٍ

بمغناهُ ومن وَجْدٍ حبيسِ

بمغناهُ ومن وَجْدٍ حبيسِ

I came to him: then tears ran free

I fell for him, shedding copious tears

At his abode, and yearning lay imprisoned.

For his singing, and passionate laments in captivity.

وما قُمْنا نصونُ المجدَ حتى

وما قُمْنا نصونُ المجدَ حتى

تعاقَدْنا على بذْلِ النفوسِ

تعاقَدْنا على بذْلِ النفوسِ

And we did not rise to safeguard glory until

We did not seek to protect glory,

We pledged to sacrifice our lives.

Until we pledged to sacrifice our souls.

وكيف إقامتي وقد استقلّتْ

وكيف إقامتي وقد استقلّتْ

على لُجِّ السرابِ سفينُ عِيسي

على لُجِّ السرابِ سفينُ عِيسي

And how can I stay, when already under way

How can I settle when the ship of Jesus

On the mirage's deep sea are the ships of my pale camels?

Has sailed the sea of mirage?

وما كللُ الحمولِ سوى بُروجٍ

وما كللُ الحمولِ سوى بُروجٍ

ولا سُكّانُهن سوى شموسِ

ولا سُكّانُهن سوى شموسِ

And the litters' canopies are nothing but celestial towers,

The burdens' necks were naught but thyme,

Nor are their dwellers anything but suns.

And its bearers naught but suns.